1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel golf-club carrier and particularly to a golf-club carrier comprising a rotatable club holder having a separate retaining compartment for each club shaft. The novel carrier may be inserted into a golf bag, or may be used alone when equipped with a shoulder strap or other manual carrying means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Golfers transport a bag containing eight to sixteen golf clubs together with other items around the golf course on a shoulder strap, or on a pull cart, or on a motorized carrier. When the clubs are placed together in a golf bag, they rub against one another causing wear and damage to the clubs. Also, they can become randomly intermixed with one another so that a particular club may be difficult to find when it is needed.
To overcome the problems arising from intermixing, several expedients have been suggested for holding the golf clubs individually and in a particular order in cups, slots, notches or tubes; as described for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,758,902 to E. C. Boyce; 2,551,780 to D. B. Wood; 3,966,051 to R. O. Hollister; and 4,181,167 to L. J. Ret.
More recently, it has been suggested to transport golf clubs in a golf bag having a rotatable club holder which provides all of the foregoing advantages. In addition, this structure permits the golfer to rotate the holder to bring a particular position in the holder closer to the golfer so that a golf club can be inserted or removed. Golf bags with rotating holders are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,111,248 to H. A. Leichhardt and 4,673,082 to R. O. Hemme.
Prior rotatable golf-club holders usually have club retention means, such as slots, notches or bands, that contact the club shafts thereby requiring special efforts to insert and remove the clubs. Such physical contact rubs on the shafts. Also, prior rotatable golf-clubs holders have inadequate means for resisting sideward forces at the upper end of the bag. This is particularly aggravated when the golf bag is attached to, and rests on the shelf of, a motorized golf cart. In such case, the golf bag is located relatively high off the ground, and is frequently positioned at an angle from vertical, so that the holder experiences strong sideward forces from the cart when the cart is moving, and from the golfer when a club is inserted in or removed from the holder when the cart is stopped.